For Whom the Bells Chime
by Chi Yagami
Summary: Looking around, she saw other trees, all tall and autumn-colored. In the distance, she could hear the evening bells. Dawn turned back and almost jumped out of her shoes; there was a man walking towards her. He sighed. "I'm Morty. You followed me here, and this is the Bellchime Trail." For Halloween. Ikarishipping...ish
1. Part I

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (though this is a fanfic so that should be a given). Small warning, this has not been looked over; I'll fix mistakes later.

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><p><strong>For Whom the Bells Chime<strong>

**Part I**

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><p>.<p>

She had been walking for a very long time. Minutes, hours, days…maybe weeks…she couldn't tell. All Dawn knew for sure was that she was tired. Not tired from walking. Her feet and legs weren't sore, and she wasn't sleepy. She wasn't tired because she had been walking; she was just tired _of it_.

The tunnel she was walking in seemed to have no end or beginning. Now that she thought about it, Dawn couldn't even remember where she had entered. _I'm going crazy_, she thought.

The tunnel was pitch black save for a hint of light in the distance. Dawn was walking toward the light, her pink flats scraping the paved stones. A leaf crunched under her foot.

_A leaf?_

Dawn looked around and saw other leaves, red and orange and yellow… They were blowing around in the soft breeze. She looked up and noticed trees for the first time.

"Am I still in the tunnel?" she asked aloud.

Looking around, she saw other trees, all tall and autumn-colored. The late afternoon sunlight peaked through the branches and left spots on the stone sidewalk. In the distance, she could hear the evening bells.

"Where am I?" she asked herself. She had already forgotten which way she came from.

She was still in a tunnel, somewhat… a tunnel formed by the trees. They blocked most of the sky, but in the distance behind her, Dawn could see a tall tower. _Is that a church?_ She turned back and almost jumped out of her shoes.

There was a man walking toward her. His blond hair was pushed back by a purple headband, and he wore a matching purple scarf. He stopped a few feet away from her.

"Who are you?" he asked. He didn't seem to surprised at her appearance; then again, he hadn't turned around to suddenly find her there…

"Dawn," she replied, "Dawn Berlitz. Who are you?"

"Dawn Berlitz…" He seemed to be lost in thought. "Dawn Berlitz… That famous Pokemon Coordinator who—" He stopped, staring at her intently.

"Yes, that's me," she replied, wondering if he was a fan. "And who are you?"

He sighed. "Morty. I'm the gym leader here in Ecruteak City."

Dawn's jaw dropped. _Ecruteak City?! _"But, but that's in Johto!" she exclaimed. "Who are you, really?"

He sighed again. "I'm really Morty, and this is really Ecruteak, which is really in Johto. Well, _this_," he gestured around them, "is the Bellchime Trail, but it's considered part of Ecruteak."

She didn't like his mocking tone, but he sounded like he was telling the truth. Still… "How did I end up in Ecruteak… in _Johto_?" she asked more to herself than to him.

But he heard anyway. "You came here."

Well, obviously. But when?

"Having trouble remembering things?" he asked suddenly.

"Actually, yes… How did you know that?" she asked curiously, peering at the young man.

He shrugged. "Come with me."

He walked past her, heading the direction she came from. Dawn groaned, not exactly eager to follow this somewhat-mystery man back into the dark tunnel. She knew a man named Morty was a Johto gym leader, but she couldn't possibly be in Johto, could she?

"Do we have to go back through that long tunnel, because it kind of gave me the creeps...?"

Her voice died as she turned to follow him. Morty was entering a small shrine at the end of the Bellchime Trail. He didn't wait for her, closing the shoji door behind him. Dawn huffed; if he wasn't going to wait for her, why did he tell her to follow him?

Inside the shrine, Morty was talking quietly to an older man. He and two other men were all dressed in robes and had shaved their heads. _Monks of the church? _

"Leader Morty, no luck again today, I assume?" the man was asking.

"Unfortunately not. The legendary bird has eluded me once more," he replied. His tone was kind, but Dawn thought he sounded rather bored. "I did find something..." His eyes flickered to where Dawn stood.

The monk followed his gaze, but he turned away before Dawn could even open her mouth to start an introduction. He hobbled towards a door at the other end of the shrine, Morty close behind him.

"Well, in any case," the man continued, sounding suddenly bothered, "it's always a pleasure. Your continued support of the Bell Tower is greatly appreciated."

_Bell Tower?_ Dawn heard the church bells once more, tolling in the distance.

Morty shook the monk's hand, and Dawn, realizing he was leaving, hurriedly followed him out. The monk closed the door swiftly behind her. She huffed again.

"He was rather rude," she commented, racing after Morty. Once again, he hadn't bothered to wait for her.

Morty glanced back at her. "Was he." It was more of a statement than a question, really.

"He didn't even say hello!"

"To be fair, neither did you."

"Whatever! So what, does he only talk to _financial donors?_ Hey, where are we going?" Dawn asked, struggling to keep up with his long strides. He didn't answer.

They passed a small pond and soon they were off the temple grounds and in Ecruteak City. Dawn gazed around in wonder; so much autumn! Everything was red and yellow and orange... even the blues and purples had a fall look to them. People were hustling about, in and out of buildings every which way. She immediately recognized the Pokemon Center, even with its muted reds. There was also a marketplace and a theater; everything was lit and twinkling in the fading sunlight. It was beautiful.

The bells rang again, and Dawn looked up to see the Bell Tower stretching up into the sky behind her.

Then she heard... _ Was that another bell?_ She turned to see another tower in the far distance, not nearly so tall. It seems darker and not as well taken care of. _He gives money to one tower but not the other?_

It was so much darker than the other one...

Dawn realized she had walked over and was standing at the base of the grounds. Had she really walked that far? A small plaque attached to the fence caught her eye.

_Over a hundred years ago, the Brass Tower stood proudly next to its twin, the Bell Tower. After a horrible lightning storm and huge fire, the tower was destroyed, and the Pokemon who lived there perished. Legend says three powerful Pokemon were revived by the mystical bird Pokemon Ho-Oh, resident of the Bell Tower. It is also said a bird Pokemon resided in the Brass Tower, but it has not been seen since. Many trainers enter the tower searching for strong Pokemon. Beware the rotting wood; trainers have fallen through to the basement. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK._

The tower burned...

What must it have felt like, to have been trapped inside?

To fall so many feet...

She reached out and touched the fence post.

"You won't come back."

Dawn gasped and yanked her hand back as if she'd been burned. She whipped around to find Morty watching her. The bells chimed ominously as if to heighten the moment.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" she cried, clutching her chest. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

He seemed to almost snort, then thought better of it.

"What do you know about this tower?" she asked, turning her head back.

"You won't come back," he repeated, stronger. She faced him again.

"What, you think I'm stupid enough to climb around broken floorboards?" Dawn huffed. "I'm not like the idiots who needed this plaque to be put up."

"If you go in," he said, taking a step back, "you won't return."

She turned back to the tower, still shrouded in darkness. She found herself reaching out again.

Those Pokemon who died... Were they really revived? And the ones who weren't? _How they must have felt... Left all alone in the dark... Who did this... Who was responsible..._

"Dawn." It was a whisper.

She looked around to see Morty striding away, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his scarf wrapped around his neck warmly. Was it cold out? Hurrying after him, she noticed other people also had on jackets and scarves. It was autumn after all; perhaps it was colder in Johto than Sinnoh. She smoothed out her flowy pink dress as she followed Morty through the crowd of evening goers.

No, wait, it was spring... Wasn't it? She was dressed for the occasion. _What occasion?_

As they passed through the city, many residents nodded their heads or greeted Morty.

"Good evening, Leader Morty," most of them said, sometimes with a smile. Their eyes always seemed to pass coldly over her. Was it her state of dress? _Well, excuse me for not dressing like the rest of you! I wasn't planning for a cold night. I was planning for–_

Planning for what?

Morty finally slowed down as they reached another temple. Dawn glared at his back, unable to understand how he walked so quickly.

"Why are we visiting temples?" she asked as he opened the door.

He spared her a glance. "This is my gym." That was all he offered, and then he practically closed the door on her.

She managed to squeeze inside behind him. "This is your _gym_?" she asked in awe.

The place was dimly lit with candles that gave off an eerie fog-like incense. The floor appeared to disappear into the darkness right before her eyes. She could still hear the bells, but Dawn couldn't tell where the walls and ceiling ended; she could only see what was directly in the entryway, the best lit spot of the room.

Morty had already set off into the dark, following a random path he seemed to know by heart. He looked as if he was taking precise footsteps...

Huffing once more, Dawn ran after him, not bothering to follow him exactly. She wasn't some nutter, as she had deduced him to be. The entryway faded into the dark behind her, and she could no longer tell just how far into the gym they were. What had he said earlier? _'You won't come back.'_

She wasn't so sure she would be able to get out of here, either.

She easily caught up to Morty this time; he was walking at a leisurely pace and seemed very calm. Well, she supposed if this was truly his gym, he had probably decorated it to his liking and felt at home, here in the dark.

_It had been dark then too, on that warm spring evening._

Wait, when?

Dawn let out a shriek as an old woman appeared then, straight out of the fog. She would have grabbed Morty's arm if she'd known him better. However, she wasn't sure she entirely trusted him at this point.

The old lady bowed deeply to the gym leader, and he returned the gesture, though not nearly as low. "Leader Morty," she rasped, "another one eh?" She jerked her head in Dawn's direction, and Dawn caught sight of the old woman's glassy stare. She was blind.

"Another one?" Dawn echoed, starting to get annoyed. "What are you, some kind of womanizer?"

The medium laughed, her voice cracking. "You've got a feisty one there, Morty! I can feel it!" The woman stumbled away from them, still laughing as the darkness consumed her.

Dawn was contempt to glare daggers in her direction for a while, but she felt Morty continuing on into the gym. Reluctantly, Dawn followed.

They met a few more mediums, though none of them had as much to say as the first. They seemed to be leaving at Morty's appearance; perhaps they had been watching the gym while he was away.

Finally, Dawn noticed the candles seemed to be leading them somewhere specific, closing in the gym walls. They arrived at a door, and with a sigh, Morty opened it and stepped in. Dawn followed, not ready for the sudden burst of light that blinded her.

_It was a warm spring evening. She was dressed for the occasion. Her pink party dress was wet with tears. Or was it the rain? No one was there. No one except–_

"_All this time. All this time, I loved you. Why can't you see that?"_

"_Dawn."_

"Dawn." Morty's voice pulled her back, and she jumped when she saw how close he was. She squinted in the light, so bright after walking through such a dark gym. They were in some sort of sitting room. The small space was squashed with small armchairs in front of a roaring fire. Did Morty _live_ here?

"Where am I?" she asked. Morty stared into the flames.

"This is my living room, behind my gym," he said quietly.

Dawn was silent for a moment. "No, I suppose... I mean, _where am I?_ How did I get here?" She watched the gym leader tuck into his scarf and sigh deeply. He closed his eyes and stayed that way for a long time.

"You followed me."

Dawn waited for more explanation, but none came.

"Look, buddy, you're really starting to creep me out," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "You'd better not be some psycho kidnapper, because I've seen the movies, and this place looks exactly like–"

Morty scoffed. "_You're _creeped out? That's ironic."

She growled, balling her hands into fists. "Yeah, I'm creeped out! You've been leading me all over town without so much as an explanation! I don't know where I am!" Dawn stopped.

"I... I don't know where I am. How did I get here?" she asked again, looking to Morty with pleading eyes. Though why exactly she was so desperate to know, Dawn couldn't understand.

He sighed again, then went over to his coffee table and began rummaging through things. "Like I said... you followed me."

"No, you idiot," Dawn groaned, "I mean before all that! You asked if I couldn't remember and then I followed you because you said you knew!"

Morty paused and looked up at her. "I never said that."

"Whatever! You know what I mean!"

Morty put a hand to his hand. "Look, would just _stop_ for a minute?" he asked impatiently. "Your incessant chatter is giving me a headache."

Dawn closed her mouth, but she continued to seeth at him from across the room.

Finding what he had been looking for, Morty held up the remote for a small tv that sat on an end table. He switched it on, changed the channel a few times, and then lowered the volume. He finally looked at her.

Walking over to where she stood, Morty sighed. He was sighing quite a lot, she noticed.

"Once more... like I said, you followed me here." He held up his hand before she could interrupt again. "You _followed_ me."

She stared at him. He rubbed his headband.

"I don't know exactly where you were before... this... but I definitely know you followed me _here_."

"I don't understand–"

"You sensed me."

She continued to stare at him. The man was talking in riddles.

"I, err, _sensed_ you...?" He wasn't wearing any strong cologne that she could smell.

Morty strode away from her suddenly, going over to the fireplace and grabbing something off the mantle.

"Did you know that I give out the Fog Badge?" he asked, holding it out for her to see. He continued to talk while she examined it. "Recalling the conversation earlier, I doubt you knew I was gym leader before I told you. You'd probably never seen me before."

"Hadn't heard much either," Dawn agreed, gazing at the little purple... "Ghost... it's a ghost!" She looked at it upside down then right-side up a few times, but it was definitely a ghost.

"Ever since I was young, I've had the ability to sense what others cannot," he continued. "When I was a child, this power frightened me; it alienated me from others... even my own family. However, as I got older, I learned to control it and use it to my advantage. Did you know I train Ghost-type Pokemon, Dawn?"

She smirked at the badge in his hand. "I sort of guessed..."

He put it back on the mantle.

"So... are you some sort of psychic or something?"

Morty sighed and looked as if he was trying to control his aggravation. "Didn't I just tell you..."

"You train Ghost Pokemon, yeah, yeah," she said, nodding. "And you're mentioning all of this... why?" Did he just have a big ego and felt like bragging about his weird powers?

"Because of my ability, I am an exceptionally good Ghost Pokemon trainer," he said, standing next to her. "They understand me, and I understand them."

Dawn stared in amazement. "You mean like... you talk to them?"

Morty glanced at the tv before contemplating her question. "Sometimes," he replied quietly, looking her over. "Usually it's more of a sense... I pick up on what they're feeling, their emotions..."

"Is that why your gym is all creepy?" Dawn asked, crossing her arms. "Are you at home with the ghosts?" He was staring at her so audaciously that it was making her uncomfortable. She glanced around the room at his various belongings, most of which were weird crystals or books.

"Some of them. Every now and then..." he paused, and Dawn wondered if he was being super mysterious and annoying on purpose. "Every now and then, I find one who is... not at home."

"Ah, one of those hostile ghosts," she agreed, nodding her head and still avoiding his gaze. "Let me guess... Haunters and Banettes?"

Morty didn't reply, not for several minutes.

"You're a long way from home, aren't you, Dawn?"

There it was again.

"_Dawn."_

_A warm spring evening, ruined because no one was there. They all had plans, they'd said. Even her own mother was busy. She was left alone, all alone on her birthday._

_That's right... she went out. She decided to take a walk up the mountains outside Hearthome City. A peaceful walk to calm her down..._

_She walked so far... A long way..._

"You're a long way from home, aren't you?" Morty asked again.

Dawn jumped and looked up right into eyes. She found he wasn't staring intently, but rather, he almost looked resigned. Maybe even a little sad.

"Morty... I need to know," she said, now the one to look at him directly. "How did I get here?"

He sighed and pulled away from her. She was about to ask what he was doing, but he simply turned up the tv.

"...thanks for that report, and tune in tomorrow folks, for another exciting addition of _Trend Tracker_!"

Dawn glanced at Morty, but he was adamantly watching the television. She heard the theme for _Sinnoh Now_, the regional news broadcast, and turned her attention back to the tv as well. What was Morty doing watching a Sinnoh show? She was surprised he could even get that show out here.

Lead anchor Rhonda cleared her throat and shuffled her scripts as the breaking news jingle sounded. "Today's top headline: Paul Shinji has been released from jail after being questioned by police. That's right, the man who had been in custody for questioning about the death of..."

"Paul was in jail?!" Dawn squeaked loudly, drowning out the anchor and rushing over to where Morty was standing next to the tv. The news clip showed an angry young man with lavender hair pushing past reporters, getting into an unmarked vehicle, and driving away.

"Dawn," Morty started in a small voice.

"What was he in jail for?!" she asked, watching previous footage of Paul being taken into the Hearthome City police station. "He was always sort of gruff but I never thought he'd break the law!"

"Dawn," Morty said, catching her attention this time. She kept watching the tv, but she could feel a heavy pressure on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

She stared at him in disbelief. _'I'm sorry.'_ Sorry for what...?

Rhonda's loud, professional voice broke the silence. "As we told you last week, Paul Shinji was the last person to see acclaimed Pokemon Coordinator Dawn Berlitz before she died. He was found in the mountains with her body, after calling police himself. However, it has been suggested that he..."

Dawn stared. The pressure on her shoulder increased.

"Dawn," she heard Morty talking to her, and the bells rang off in the tower.

"No..."

She stared at the tv. That was her mother crying and addressing the media. Those were her friends lying flowers and stuffed animals near a high cliff. That was her picture on the screen. _Dawn Berlitz, age 19._

But it couldn't be.

"It's not true!" she exclaimed, finally looking at Morty.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "You died a week ago."

She didn't believe it. It wasn't true. This was some sort of sick joke. "What are you playing at?" she screamed. "Why are playing such a horrible joke on me?! How dare you!"

Morty looked sad but not uncomfortable. He was calm and collected as she threw insult after insult at him.

"I told you, I have a gift for Ghost Pokemon. You asked why you were here, how you got here," he explained slowly. "Sometimes... rarely, but sometimes, the ghosts of people find me. You found me, Dawn. You sensed me, and you just appeared here, right? Where were you before you met me?"

Her voice felt hoarse from yelling at him. Her rage quelled for moment, if only to be replaced with tears.

"I don't know," she sobbed. "I can't be dead, I just can't!"

She knew Morty wouldn't respond. He'd wait for her to catch up; what could one say to comfort the dead?

It was too surreal. _That's right, Dawn, focus on the shock. Not the anger, or the sadness, or the fact that you're DEAD. You're in shock._

She finally managed to stop sobbing and ask a tiny little, "How...?"

"You fell off a cliff," Morty supplied. "That boy on the news... he said you got in an argument. You were arguing on the mountain and you ran away from him. He followed you and he claims you slipped and fell."

She caught his tone. "He _claims_...?"

She could tell Morty had now grown slightly uncomfortable. "It was suggested..."

She narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"It was suggested... that he pushed you."

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><p><strong>.<strong>

_Long time no hear from me, right? Ehehe... Sorry, guys, I've been so drained by real life: work, family, relationship... __I promise I haven't abandoned my stories yet; I just had an itch to write something for Halloween. __There will be 2 more parts, both of which will hopefully be posted before/on Halloween. Though I work the next four days, so it may not be finished until Halloween is already over. __Please don't hate me._


	2. Part II

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><p><strong>For Whom the Bells Chime<strong>

**Part II**

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><p>.<p>

"_Dawn."_

That's right.

"_You died a week ago."_

It was her birthday. April 20th. A warm spring evening.

She was turning 19 years old that day. It wasn't that much different from 18, she had thought at the time, but a birthday was a birthday, and it was always a cause for celebration.

She had always had parties in the past, and she had expected this year to be no different. Friends she had made all throughout her travels were invited... Ash, Brock, May, Misty, Barry, Kenny, Zoey, just to name a few.

She had planned the whole thing herself, as it would be the first year in her apartment in Hearthome City. First, they would watch one of her favorite movies, _Pokemon Princess: A Fairy-Pokemon Tale_. Then, they would gather in the kitchen and hand-make pizzas together. Afterward, they'd have cake and ice cream, of course. Presents and games would round up the festivities, and anyone needing to sleepover would be welcome. They would stay up all night watching more movies and throwing popcorn at each other.

Pink streamers and balloons hung everywhere in the living room, and she had cleaned the house twice, even the closets. The pizza ingredients were already sorted in the freezer or pantry, and the movies were sitting next to the DVD player. She might not have been a child anymore, but she still wanted a fun party with lots of decorations.

The was supposed to be fantastic one. Even though the forecaster had warned of light rain in the evening, when she woke up, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"_Where were you before you found me?"_

Her mother had canceled first. Her magazine had won a prestigious award for an article she wrote, and so she was being sent to receive it. The ceremony was a huge party that would last for hours into the night. Dawn had been understanding of course; it was her mother's first big award. How could she ask her not to go?

Then came the other calls. Too busy, too far, something came up, they'd have to get together another time, though, and celebrate! Lots of See you soons and Happy birthdays all around.

The party started and Dawn was alone. She could see the rain clouds gathering over the hills.

Even May couldn't make it. Earlier that day, she and her mom had gone shopping. Another driver had hit them from behind at a stoplight. Her mother was taken to the hospital as a precaution after hitting her head on the dashboard. Don't worry about us, May had said, have fun on your birthday! Tell everyone else I said hi! I'll see you as soon as I can!

There was no one to tell.

"_You fell off a cliff." _

She had decided to go for a walk in the mountainous woods behind her apartment. She couldn't stand being surrounded by all the happy decorations. She had plenty of time to kill now that no one was coming. No point in watching movies or making pizza alone. Blinking back the tears, Dawn had slipped on her shoes and left the house; it was warm enough outside not to grab a jacket.

It was a bit of a walk to even get to the woods, but Dawn didn't care. She had plenty of time to kill.

"_That boy on the news... he said you got in an argument."_

She had not been expecting to find Paul Shinji out there.

Dawn hadn't seen much of him since she had traveled with Ash so many years ago. Paul had appeared in the news a few times, so she knew he had collected a lot of gym badges from around the world, but he still wasn't a champion... yet.

She had been walking for almost an hour at that point. She was starting to regret not wearing better shoes; it had been a difficult trek up the terrain. She caught site of something moving through the trees, and, not really caring about much at that point, she decided to go see what it was.

Paul was training his Pokemon, his Honchkrow and Froslass specifically. She supposed he was trying to help Honchkrow defeat a type-advantage opponent because Froslass seemed to be winning easily. Tired, bored, and a bit depressed, Dawn had sat on a fallen tree and watched.

Paul looked fairly similar to the boy she remembered from eight years ago. He was taller and brawnier, and she could tell his voice had deepened a bit during puberty. His hair was longer now and mostly pulled back, though not nearly quite as long as she remembered his brother Reggie's hair being. She supposed she could almost mistake him for Reggie, except for his eyes. His eyes were still distant.

Dawn had long ago admitted to herself that she found him handsome; there was no point in denying it. She had developed a small crush on him back when he and Ash used to battle frequently. She wasn't ashamed to say that she liked boys tall, mysterious, and handsome. His attitude always kept her from anything more than small talk, however.

She could tell he had changed slightly. He still wasn't very affectionate with his Pokemon, but at least he wasn't yelling at them anymore it seemed.

"_You were arguing on the mountain and you ran away from him."_

Of course his Pokemon had noticed her at some point. They were too smart not to. His Froslass had almost taken her out with an Icy Wind. She would have been frozen solid if she hadn't ducked behind the tree.

"Who's there?" Paul had asked, sounding hostile. "Show yourself!"

Checking to make sure his Froslass wasn't about to freeze her head off again, Dawn stood and smoothed out her dress angrily. "It's just me, geez! Other people are allowed to walk out here, you know."

He raised an eyebrow as she continued to dust herself off. "Just you?"

She scoffed. "Well yeah. Who were you expecting? An army? Oh wait, you probably thought people would want to spy on you and steal your training secrets, right?" she asked mockingly. She was clearly in a bad mood. She walked closer, crossing her arms.

"Dawn Berlitz?" he asked, sounding a tad surprised. He looked her over, taking in her party dress and frazzled appearance. "What are you doing out here?"

"Walking," she sniffed. "I felt like it."

She knew he didn't care for an explanation, but she felt like giving one. If she really thought about it, Dawn actually wanted to stay and talk to him. She really wanted to spend her birthday with someone, anyone, even Paul.

"Well, you can keep on walking," he grumbled, turning away from her.

"Can I stay and watch?" she asked, following him as he recalled his Froslass. The Honchkrow circled somewhere overheard; she could hear it cawing.

"Are you for real?" Paul asked, picking up his pace. "Go bother someone else. I'm busy."

"You and everyone else," she muttered as a loud clap of thunder boomed overhead. Paul groaned; it seemed the weather wanted to postpone his training for the evening.

They walked in silence for a bit. The dark clouds rolled in the sky above them, but it was only starting to sprinkle. It was still warm out, and Dawn's hair began to cling to her cheek and shoulders with humidity.

"Why are you following me?" he finally asked, still walking.

"I'm not; we're just going the same direction," she replied, even though she knew she was completely following him. She would have followed him even if he hadn't been heading towards Hearthome City.

"What are you doing in Hearthome City?" she asked.

"It's not really any of your business, is it?"

"Oh come on, Paul. I just want to talk to you," she said, trying not to sound desperate. Was she desperate? Maybe. It'd been a bad day so far, after all.

"I'm just passing through."

"Oh."

"Yup."

"I live here now," Dawn told him, still following behind his footsteps. The rain seemed to be picking up.

"Good for you," Paul replied, obviously not caring. He was looking around at the ground. He sighed. "We should go back; this side of the mountain is prone to mudslides."

He stopped walking and turned around abruptly, but Dawn was right on his heels and couldn't stop in time. She walked straight into him. His strong hands steadied her shoulders.

"Watch it, troublesome girl. Do you want to slip and fall?" he asked harshly.

She glared at him. "It was an accident!"

The rain was falling steadily now, and neither of them had jackets to put on. Dawn's pink dress was plastered to her body, and Paul's wet jeans were practically dragging in the mud. His hands still rested on her shoulders.

He sighed deeply. "Fine. I'm assuming you don't know this mountain as well as I do, even though you live here."

She gritted her teeth through the insult.

He looked around, trying to decide which was was best. "The east side probably has the most actual rock rather than dirt, so we can probably go safely that way. I'd suggest we stay put if it was just raining, but we don't want to be sitting ducks in a forest during a storm. Follow me but not that close, got it?"

His hands slid down her arms to her wrists before he pulled away and began walking again. Dawn felt a chill run down her arms, and she hurried after him.

"So what are you training for?" She knew he didn't want to continue the small talk, but it was helping Dawn feel slightly better. She had never expected to run into Paul on today, of all days. But he was a familiar person, and she had always extended her friendship to him, even if he'd never taken it. She found she had sort of missed the jerk.

"Nothing really, just training."

"I see..."

Dawn wasn't sure what else there was to talk about that wouldn't tick him off into abandoning her up here in the rain, so she decided to keep quiet for once. But then...

"So what were you doing out here anyway?" he asked with a grunt, pushing back his wet bangs. "I know you weren't just taking a walk looking like _that_."

She glared. "Looking like _what_ exactly?"

He stopped and turned to fully look at her. "Looking..." He trailed off, staring at her with a lack of words. She shifted uncomfortably.

"_Nice_," he muttered, turning back around and continuing on. Dawn blushed.

"No one just goes out for a walk in the rain looking so nice. So spill, troublesome."

She smiled at his back. Was Paul willingly making small talk with her? She could put up with more rain for this.

"I didn't feel like being home alone on my birthday," she explained, following him through a particularly dense area of the forest. "I didn't think it would rain this much."

"Still don't think much do you?"

"Hey!"

He looked back, and Dawn realized he was actually teasing her. She smiled.

"So what, no birthday party?"

"Most everyone canceled. Mom had an awards dinner and May and her mom were in a minor car wreck."

"Hn."

She wondered why he seemed so bothered. Oh! "Oh, err, sorry for not inviting you... I didn't think you'd be interested, I mean, I wasn't even aware you were here...?"

He snorted. "I'm not offended; stop worrying about it. I wasn't interested in going anyway."

Dawn huffed. "Well you don't have to be all snooty about it. You're always so rude, Paul. Why can't you be nicer?"

"I'm leading you through this damn storm, aren't I?" he growled. "I could be rude and just leave you here."

"Fine! Then do it!" Dawn replied testily, growing annoyed with herself for even coming out here. Talking to Paul was turning out to be a bad idea. "You don't always have to act like you're better than everyone, you know!"

He stopped walking and turned to face her. "I never wanted you following me in the first place! You're the one who came after me, remember?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you!" she snapped.

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky and the thunder followed swiftly. The two of them stared at each other furiously, both angry and also thoroughly soaked with rain water. Dawn knew her feet were going to have blisters tomorrow; her flats were not made to get wet, and her feet were practically sliding around inside them.

"You... you wanted to talk me?" Paul asked, surprised. "Why?"

She blushed and messed with her long blue hair. "Err, well, it's not like I came looking for you specifically... but I was just so upset, and I didn't want to spend my birthday alone... I just hadn't seen you in _so_ long, and I missed talking with..." Dawn chose not to finish that sentence as Paul's face flushed.

"You missed me?" he asked quietly. "Why?"

"Well..."

"Well _what_?"

"Because I like you!" she blurted, taking a step back and clapping her hands to her mouth. She hadn't meant it to come out like that! "That is... I've always thought we were friends, Paul. I know you never liked me very much, but I was always willing to be your friend or..."

"Or...?"

Dawn blushed the shade of a tomato. "I really like you okay!"

Paul said nothing for almost an entire minute; he just stared at the ground, avoiding her eyes. She played with hair a bit more, and then, deciding she had nothing to lose, she quickly asked, "You wanna go on a date with me?"

He jerked his head up to finally look at her. She'd caught him completely off guard. A mix of emotions played across his face... shock, suspicion, more shock, uncertainty, wait was that hope? No, Paul was frowning.

"No."

She had to know... "Why not?"

"Because I don't like you, okay?" he said angrily, looking away from her. "We're very different people... too different. You're only out here because you were alone, anyway. As soon as your friends come back, you'll realize what a mistake you've made, hanging out with me. You're just using me because you're lonely!"

She gaped at him like a fish. "How could you say that?!"

"You know it's true," he scoffed, staring at anything but her. "You only talked to me because you were alone, you said so yourself."

She hadn't meant it like that! Dawn continued to gawk at him, tears forming. "But I really like you..."

"Yeah, well I don't like you at all."

Giving her one final glare, he turned away and started walking again. She couldn't believe it; she admitted she liked him, and he was calling her a liar? He also rejected her, hadn't he? It was definitely a bad day.

"You're such an idiot, Paul!" she screamed at him. He had walked several feet but stopped as she yelled. "I _really_ liked you! I wasn't lying. But fine, if you want to be a jerk about it, be that way! This day already sucks enough as it is; I don't need any more crap from you!"

She turned on her heel and ran in the other direction.

"_He followed you and he claims you slipped and fell."_

It was the worst birthday she'd ever had. First, no one came to her party. Then, Paul rejected her and called her a liar. Plus, it was raining and she was out in a forest in the dark.

He was calling after her. Dawn willed herself to run faster. She didn't need any more comments from him; she was in enough pain as it was. She jumped over stumps and dodged trees left and right.

"Dawn, come back here! Don't be an idiot!" he was shouting. She could hear his footsteps pounding in the mud.

"_It was suggested... he pushed you."_

She stumbled in her flats but recovered quickly and kept going.

"You troublesome girl!"

The ground gave out underneath her. She slipped in her shoes, tilting backwards. Rocks and mud rolled off the cliff beneath her feet.

"HAAA!"

Something hard slammed into both of her shoulders. Dawn went flying forward.

Then there was nothing.

Only darkness.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

"I really died," she said at last. "I'm really dead..."

Morty switched off the television and watched her warily.

Dawn had said it aloud, but she still didn't quite believe it. "There must be some explanation... You must be playing a trick on me, you must!"

Morty smiled at her with pity. "I really wish I was. I'm sorry."

"I don't believe you! You're probably using some weird voodoo on me," she reasoned. "You've had your fun, now _stop!_"

One of the crystals on the shelves shattered, showering Morty in tiny sharp pieces. For the first time, he glowered at her. "You need to calm down."

"CALM DOWN?!" she shrieked, as another trinket burst. "Don't you tell me to calm down! You just told me I'm DEAD!" More shattering.

"I'm sorry," was all he offered, looking around his messy living room in disappointment.

"If I was really dead, none of those people would have been able to see me!" she told him. "You're the only one who sees ghosts right? Is that what I am, a ghost?! Because everyone else–"

"They couldn't see you," he interrupted, pulling a broom and dustpan out of a corner.

Her jaw hung open in denial. "But that monk looked at me!"

"No. He knows of my gift and suspected there was something there, because that's where _I_ was looking. The monks tolerate me because I contribute to the keeping of the Bell Tower. However, while they might be considered 'spiritual men,' they do not believe that ghosts exist. They do not believe one can see and hear spirits so plainly as I can see and hear you." He began sweeping up the broken shards.

_How ironic. No, focus, Dawn, you're mad at this prankster!_

"The people in the market..."

"Didn't ignore you," he explained tiredly. "They couldn't see you."

"But that old lady in your gym..."

"She was blind," he said flatly. Dawn's emotions flared up, and another crystal broke.

"She knew I was there!"

"She's a _medium_. She sensed your presence. She couldn't exactly see you; she doesn't possess the same ability I do. However, she could feel your aura."

"But... but..." Dawn was running out of counterarguments. "But you had your hand on my shoulder!"

Morty paused in his cleaning to regard her carefully. "No. I never touched you. You haven't really touched anything, Dawn. All you've done is let your anger control you and broke some of my priceless artifacts."

Dawn looked around and saw that he was right. "But I can't have done that... You said so yourself! I can't touch anything!"

Just to prove it to herself, she reached out to grab the tv remote off the coffee table.

But no matter how hard she tried, her hand never seemed to meet the remote. It didn't go right through it, rather, her hand just never got close to it.

"I don't understand," she said in a whisper. "How can this be true...?"

Morty had finally finished sweeping and disposing of the trash. He sighed for what must have been the millionth time that night, before heading towards the door.

"Let's go for a walk."

A glass orb on the fireplace shattered.

Dawn was ridden with guilt. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry; I really didn't mean it that time," she apologized. "You said _walk_ and I couldn't help remembering..."

"You remember something?" Morty asked, genuinely interested. "That's good."

"A bit, yeah... Maybe we should go outside so I don't break anything else, huh?"

He gave her a tiny but real smile and led the way back through his gym. Once outside, Morty began walking slowly, and Dawn followed.

"Why does it feel like you're always walking faster than me?" she asked. She didn't think she had accepted the whole Dead thing yet, but she could at least pretend and focus on all of the questions that go along with _Oh my Arceus, I'm a GHOST!_

"You're focused too much on the physical aspect of walking. I can't say for sure... for obvious reasons... but ghosts have no physical body, correct? You're so used to the act of walking, that's all you are thinking about."

"Err... if you say so... But what about all that stuff I broke in your gym?"

Morty adjusted his scarf and led them down an alleyway with fewer people than the main streets.

"You don't have physical aspects to control, but ghosts do still have emotions. I believe, based on my limited experience, that ghosts can manipulate the physical world with how they are feeling. You were angry; things broke."

Dawn couldn't quite wrap her head around that explanation, but she decided to accept it for the time being.

"So you've done this sort of thing before?" she asked curiously. "Talked to dead people?"

"Not often," he replied. "It happens more with Ghost Pokemon. I tend to attract them. It freaked my parents out when I was a child; they thought I was being haunted. Every now and then, I do find the ghost of human."

They exited the alley, and Morty paused to catch his breath.

"Dealing with the ghost of a person... requires a lot more of my energy," he explained, "so I apologize if I seem tired."

"You mean, talking to me is wearing you out?"

If she hadn't been dead, Dawn would have found all of this incredibly fascinating. It was still interesting to hear, but each piece of information also made her feel sick on the inside.

_Ghosts are real... I'm a ghost... This is insane._

"It's not so much the talking, but the keeping your emotions out of my system," he elaborated. "I can sense how ghosts are feeling. For Ghost Pokemon, unless they are very angry, their emotions do not put so much of a toil on my mental condition. Humans, however..."

They continued walking.

"When the ghost of a human finds me, they are almost always lost and confused, just like you. They don't know how they got there, and they don't know where to go. They are usually angry or upset, and humans give off much stronger emotions than Pokemon. I have to exert myself mentally in order to keep from feeling their pain and suffering, and thus being overwhelmed."

She suddenly felt horribly guilty for putting Morty through all of this.

"No need to worry," he said with a wave of his hand. "Dawn, you are far less taxing than most of the other ghosts who've managed to find me."

"About that... I don't understand," she said. "How exactly _did_ I find you? And why? Based on what you've told me so far, you don't deal with this every day. So how do some of us... I mean, how do some _ghosts_ find you but not others?"

"All good questions that I myself asked at one point or another. And the truth is, Dawn, that I don't honestly know. I'm really the only person with this ability who I know of. Those mediums in my gyms, and other acclaimed psychics out there, none of them can grasp what I deal with. They can sense that something... otherworldly is there. But you're as clear as day to me," Morty said, sounding as if he himself didn't want to believe it. "You aren't transparent or a ghostly-blob or anything of that sort."

"How did you know I was... dead?" she wondered, forcing herself to say the last word.

"I could sense it. And after you told me your name, I remembered hearing about your death on the news. It attracted a lot of worldwide media attention. You're a well known Coordinator; Paul Shinji is a very well-known Pokemon Trainer, and he was found with your body."

"Right..."

Morty stopped at the edge of the city. The Bell Tower was directly to the east, and the Brass Tower was slightly further to the west.

"You said you remembered something," he inquired.

"Oh right. Well, it basically happened like they said on tv," she explained, visions flashing through her mind. "It was my birthday. No one could make my party, so I went out for a walk by myself."

There it was again, that pressure on her shoulders. But Morty's hands were stuffed deep into his pockets.

"What is that?" Dawn asked. "What's this weight?"

"What does it feel like?"

"Like... like your hand is on my shoulder." She looked at him with wide eyes. "Is that... you?"

He shrugged. "I've never really talked sensibly with a spirit until now. Most of them are angry and don't want to talk. I'm guessing, though... ghosts are better with the emotions, remember? You're probably feeling my sympathy, in a way that's familiar to you."

It was all very hard to believe, but Dawn reminded herself to keep it together for Morty's sake. She forced the fear, anger, and sadness back down into her heart.

"Ah, I see... Well, I went out for a walk in the mountains behind my apartment. Paul was training his Pokemon out there. It started to rain, and we were making our way back when we got into an argument."

She hesitated, unsure if she wanted to tell Morty anything else. _Stop being embarrassed; you're dead for Arceus's sake! _

"I told him I liked him, and we got into a fight. He rejected me and said I couldn't really like him. That I was just using him because I was lonely." She pushed the tears back. "I was upset of course. So I ran off and then..."

T_he ground gave out underneath her. She slipped in her shoes, tilting backwards. Rocks and mud rolled off the cliff beneath her feet._

"_HAAA!"_

_Something hard slammed into both of her shoulders. Dawn went flying forward._

"And then I died," she finished quietly.

"Did Paul push you?"

She shook her head. "I... I don't know. It's possible... Something did hit me from behind, but Paul wouldn't have done such a thing! He might hate my guts, but he would never have shoved me off a cliff! That's ridiculous, isn't it?"

Morty breathed in deeply. "You tell me. I only met the guy once, when he challenged my gym. And he was pretty harsh to his Pokemon. But... you probably know him better than I do."

"I thought I did, but..."

"Try to remember. Concentrate."

Dawn closed her eyes and tried to remember what it felt like in that moment.

_Something hard slammed into both of her shoulders. Dawn went flying forward._

_There was a blaring crack as something slammed into her forehead. Then she was falling. It felt as if she was falling forever. And pain. So much pain... _

"Dawn."

She blinked and tried to focus on Morty. "Sorry, I... I think I hit my head after I was pushed..."

Morty had taken a step back, his curious gaze folded into an unreadable expression.

"What? What is it?" she asked, starting to panic.

"I don't know if ghosts can look in mirrors," he started, "but I don't recommend it."

"Why? What do you see?!" Fearful, Dawn put a hand to her head. Startled, she pulled it away as she felt something warm and sticky.

Blood.

And her arms and legs were covered in mud. There were cuts and scrapes all over her body, and her dress had a large tear in the side. Her right knee bore a deep purple bruise. And the blood...

She asked fearfully, "Morty, what's on my head?"

"There's a huge gash going across your forehead. It looks pretty deep," he replied quietly, as if speaking louder would make it more awful. "I would guess that's what killed you."

She began trembling. "I'm really dead aren't I? This is really happening... Why me?" Dawn started to cry, sinking to her knees. "I'm not ready to die! I had so much left I needed to do! It's not fair! _It's not fair!_"

She looked up when she heard Morty start to pant. He was shaking his head at her.

"I can't do this, Dawn. I need to rest," he apologized.

"_You're abandoning me?!_" she cried, panic seizing every part of her.

"No," he reassured her, hunched over. "No, but we have to part for a while, Dawn. I need you to understand that. You're still in shock and dealing with this. I can't say I know what you're going through... but your emotions are getting stronger the longer we talk, too strong. They're more exhausting than I first thought. If I don't allow myself to rest, I could pass out. Or worse."

She nodded; what else could she do? Morty was the only person who could still see her. He was all she had left in this world.

"I... I don't know what to do, Morty," she said quietly. "I never really gave much thought to what happens after we die. Some people think there's an afterlife, and some people think there's nothing." A horrible thought struck her. "I should have thought about it more... I should have lived with no regrets and done a bunch of things before I died! And now I'll never be able to..."

After a moment, he asked, "Is that why you're still here?"

"What? I don't know; I don't even know why I'm still here and not... whatever's after this... _Is_ there something after this?!"

Dawn remembered too late to keep her emotions in check, and Morty had to take a few minutes of inner meditation before they could continue talking. She found it extremely difficult not to feel during those few minutes. _He's all you have, remember that. Keep it together or you'll have nothing._

"All ghosts I've come across... they all have something in common," explained Morty. The wind died down a bit, and they stood close together. "We are meant to move on after we die, Dawn. I don't know where to... Heaven or Hell or maybe nothing at all...

"Sometimes after they die, people become stuck. I don't know if all ghosts find me or not, but I doubt it. I'm sure there are others who never find me, or have no interest in looking at all. Sometimes ghosts wander across my path on pure chance, while others can feel my abilities and seek me out, even if they aren't aware that they are doing so."

"You think that's what I did, right? Because I certainly don't remember looking for you."

"Yes," he agreed, nodding. "And every spirit I've ever met... they all have the same thing in common."

He said nothing for so long that Dawn wasn't sure if he was just lost in thought, or waiting to see if she was still listening.

"_What?_" she whispered. His eyes found hers in the dark, and Morty stepped even closer.

"Unfinished business."

She blinked a few times, unsure of what that was supposed to mean.

"Well, yeah, everybody has that," she replied, confused. "Unless you're terminally ill or maybe really old, no one knows or even expects when they're going to die. Everyone has things they want to do before they die."

He sighed and shook his head lightly. "It's not that simple. A lot of the spirits I've come across have been confused, or even angry. They have such important unfinished business that it ties their souls to the earth. I recall a few times when ghosts were truly regretful of things they did while they were alive. They felt they had to stay back and try to make things right."

"Did they?" There it was again, that feeling of nauseous fascination.

"Some of them," he said quietly. "Many spirits I meet are... particularly angry. Before they died, they felt they were wronged and stay behind to seek the truth and justice.

"And some seek revenge," he continued, purposely looking away. "Dawn, I've met a lot of murder victims... And, as horrible as their stories are, _they seek revenge for the wrong reasons_."

"What... Why are you telling me this?" she inquired carefully. She could tell they were both treading on a sensitive subject, and Dawn had a feeling the ice was about to break.

"Even though it takes a toll on my health, I try to help or at least understand the spirits who seek me out. However, in the end, I find that the majority only want vengeance, and I cannot and will not help in that respect."

She felt a chill in the air that she was sure had nothing to do with the autumn weather.

"You think I'm here for revenge?" she asked incredulously. "I am not that sort of person, Morty! I'm not one of your murder victims out to get back at..."

"_It was suggested... he pushed you."_

_Something hard slammed into both of her shoulders. Dawn went flying forward._

_There was a blaring crack as something slammed into her forehead. Then she was falling. It felt as if she was falling forever. And pain. So much pain... _

Something, or rather, more likely, _someone_ had pushed her. Dawn wouldn't allow herself to think on the memories though; she neither wished to recall them nor did she want to press them upon Morty.

But he was right. She definitely remembered slipping and then being roughly shoved.

And Paul had been the only one around.

He'd never been a particularly _nice_ guy. He had ignored Dawn for the most part back when they were children. He had never gotten along at all with Ash, and while he may have respected the older breeder, he hadn't been fond of Brock either. But he had never been rude to her; she was simply there. They had talked a few times, even.

Had he possibly hated her so much all this time? Dawn supposed she would never know exactly what Paul felt for her, but could he hate her enough to kill her? Perhaps he'd changed for the worst over the years. Maybe he had grown even more distant from people. Maybe he had been having a horrible life, and Dawn had just been the last straw.

Wait, was she trying to sympathize with her possible murderer?

Paul... a murderer...

That's why they'd taken him in for questioning. Police must have realized she didn't just slip and fall, that she was pushed. But hadn't they said Paul himself was the one to call for help?

_Maybe he thought he could get away with it_.

"I wouldn't go in there if I was you," she heard Morty warn.

Bells rang out nearby. Dawn stopped walking just before she would have entered the grounds of the Brass Tower. How did she get all the way over here?

"Morty... What's in the Brass Tower? Why am I pulled here? How are the bells still ringing if the tower burned down?"

"You hear the bells?" He almost sounded surprised.

"Well yeah. I hear the softer bells chiming from the Bell Tower as well of course."

He regarded her thoughtfully before explaining. "Many angry spirits have gone in there seeking ways to extract revenge on the living," he said. "That place has a lot of negativity attached to it. It's a place of regret, revenge, and hatred. The same way that the Bell Tower is a place of peace. They are opposites, two halves of the whole."

She struggled to understand. "Like... Like Heaven and Hell?"

He shrugged. "I suppose. Dawn, I'm sure you were a nice girl who would never want to harm anyone. But it looks like someone killed you. Whatever you think of the Brass Tower, it won't make things better. Revenge will not give you peace."

Pausing to catch his breath again, he then said, "And if you go in, I will not follow. That is a place only you can go by yourself and I will no longer be able to help you. Once a spirit enters a tower, they do not return. I have physically followed a few, mostly out of curiosity, but I never saw them again."

Dawn wasn't sure how much longer she could force down all of her dark thoughts. "You should go soon," she said, concerned for his health. "Where should we meet up?"

Morty smiled bitterly. "It doesn't work that way, I'm sorry to say. Time works differently for ghosts. You will have to trust in yourself if you want to find me again. And maybe you won't want to..."

"Why not?"

"Well, you might decide it's time to move on... Or you just may not want to follow me," he said in a low voice. "Dawn... at the risk of sounding selfish, I have to tell you... I'd really like to attend your funeral."

Another wave of nausea. "It... hasn't happened yet?"

"It's scheduled for tomorrow."

Her funeral... Everyone would be there: her mom, her friends... she could see them all again. But... They'd all be grieving, over _her_. She wasn't sure she could handle a church full of people mourning for her death. She couldn't really tell him not to go. However...

"Well, if I don't go with you... What am I supposed to do?" she asked hesitantly. She really wasn't ready to part with Morty.

The wind picked up and the bells chimed again.

"It's up to you, honestly. You can follow me to the funeral... or you can take a different path. Or you could do nothing, I suppose," he offered, although Dawn didn't think it was any help at all. "If you want to find me, you will. Now... the funeral is tomorrow at five o'clock, so I'm going to head home and rest, okay?"

She hesitantly nodded.

"You'll be okay, Dawn. Whatever choice you make, just think it over first. Even when you're dead, you don't get do-overs. Goodnight, Dawn."

He bowed slightly before turning and heading back to his gym. She watched him walk through the alleys until she could no longer see him through the thick fog.

_Don't go. Please, come back._

What was she going to do now? Morty said she'd know how to find him, but _when_ was she supposed to find him? If she looked for him now, he'd probably be sleeping. She did not understand how time worked differently, and she wasn't even sure she could handle attending her own funeral. She could admit to herself that she _was_ a bit curious to see it... but that thought also made her sick. _What twisted person ever wants to attend their own funeral?_

The fog was so thick now that Dawn could only see the faint outlines of the two towers. She looked at her stained dress and dirty skin, and she was overcome with grief. Tears flowed out, and she put her face in her hands.

She cried for a long time. She cried for herself, for her dead body, for her earthbound spirit. She cried for her mother, how horrible it must be to have to bury your own child... She cried for Morty; even though she didn't fully understand everything he was telling her, she was thankful for everything he was doing. She could only imagine what life must be like for him, to see the dead walk amongst the living.

She cried for her loss, the loss of life. The loss of her Pokemon... what they must be feeling, did they think she abandoned them? Was her mom taking good care of them? Were they even safe? She cried for the loss of her future. She would never have the chance to compete in Contests again, to grow up and go into fashion like her mother. She would never get to fall in love and get married or have kids. There were so many things she would never be able to do now.

She even cried for Paul. If only he wasn't so aloof... Even if he hadn't meant to push her off the cliff, which she still couldn't be sure what happened, even still... he had berated her and driven her away. It was his fault she'd been running in the first place. He didn't have to say all of those horrible things. But he had. That was the last thing she had before she died, a big fight with Paul Shinji of all people. She cried over that too.

It was all Paul's fault. _It's all his fault. How could he be so mean?!_

The bells tolled loudly, startling her. Dawn wiped her eyes and noticed that the fog was thinning. She recognized the autumn trees from the Bellchime Trail and wondered how she had gotten back here.

To the far right was the Bell Tower itself. She could no longer hear the little bells chiming, she realized. She supposed they couldn't ring all night, and she had no idea what time it was at the moment.

To the near left was the Brass Tower. It almost appeared to be smoldering, and Dawn could hear the low ringing of the big bells.

That couldn't be right though... The Brass Tower wasn't even on the Bellchime Trail, right? What happened to the little shrine with the rude monks from before?

_It's all Paul's fault. He pushed you off that cliff because you were annoying him. He finally was rid of you after all those years._

"Who's there?" Dawn asked fearfully, turning around on the spot.

No one was there. But she could hear their voices.

_He only called the police because he knew it would look more suspicious if he didn't._

"Whoever you are, stop it!" she cried, putting her hands over her ears.

_You know it's true. You felt his hands on your shoulders, shoving you hard and causing you to hit your head and die. If he hadn't shoved you, you might've just slipped down the cliff with minor injuries. It's all his fault_.

Horrified, Dawn recognized the voices as her own.

_How could he? How could Paul do this to you – to me... I didn't deserve this. I was innocent. I tried to be kind to him and he went and pushed me off the mountain. He should pay for what he did._

She was standing before the Brass Tower abruptly, again. How did that keep happening? She couldn't remember walking over there... What had Morty said? Something about the physical versus the emotional?

_'That place has a lot of negativity attached to it. It's a place of regret, revenge, and hatred.'_

Was she drawn in by her anger and fear? It was almost as if the tower could sense how she was feeling and beckoning to her. Morty had said spirits entered to get revenge on the living.

She could get revenge on Paul...

But...

She hesitated.

"Are you sure that's the right decision there, kiddo?"

Dawn's hand froze in midair, inches away from the fence that led up to the tower's doors. She drew her hand back. _That_ definitely was not her voice.

"That choice is a permanent one, just like that young man said."

Someone else could see her! Dawn whipped around anxiously. Her eager expression fell into shock as she stared at the man standing in front of her. It couldn't be...!

"_Dad...?_"

His smile didn't quite reach his eyes, but he held out his arms. "Hey kiddo. Did you miss me?"

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

_So... I didn't finish this by Halloween like I wanted. The chapter kept getting longer, and I kept going back and rewriting parts. I hope it's not too rushed, but I am seriously trying to keep this as a short story. It's already way longer than I thought it would be. Only one more chapter to go. Special thanks to JudiPCIfan for leaving a review; you made my week!_


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